Derval O'Rourke: Lunches to keep you full of beans — like my three-bean salad
Derval O'Rourke's three-bean salad
One of the best pieces of advice I got years ago was to always pack your own lunch, whether it was going to the office for work or heading on a flight.
The advice was from a fantastic chef, and she explained to me her belief that if you are eating lunch, it should be made with the best, tastiest and healthiest ingredients you have.
As we are coming into the summer months, it’s tempting to think school will be finished in a few weeks and forget about packed lunches, but I’m talking about adult packed lunches.
The meals that help us power our way through our busy afternoons and into the evening. This week, I’m chatting about packed lunches for work, and in recipes, I have a lovely simple 3 bean salad that is a great packed lunch option.
There are lots of reasons to pack a homemade lunch. Firstly, home cooking can be healthier: studies have shown that people who consistently eat home-cooked meals eat healthier.
Secondly, your temptation to skip lunch and work through will be reduced, and your packed lunch will give you a good energy boost to surge through the afternoon.
Lastly, you will save money and hopefully help save the planet by reducing your food waste at home!
Bringing your lunch to work can feel like a chore but I promise you it’s worth the bit of effort.
Ideally, you’ll bring foods you enjoy and that are a better option than whatever you may have bought in the shop or café.
Start off by deciding whether you are bringing a hot or cold lunch.
If you are going for a hot lunch you have 2 options, bring the meal heated in an insulated container or pack the lunch cold and reheat in the microwave (assuming you have access to one).
My personal preference is to bring my food in an insulated container. I invested in a quality one that keeps my food hot for hours and it’s definitely been worth it.
When I pack a cold lunch I have loads of good quality containers that I use and I also have ice packs in my freezer to pop in the bag with my lunch (particularly in the months ahead as it’s getting a little warmer).
Also, I have a few different ‘lunch’ bags that are handy to throw lunches into and are easy to clean.
A practical tip for work lunches is to pick 5 of your favourite options and make sure you grab the ingredients for those in your weekly food shop and prepare ahead what you can.
When you get bored with those 5 rotate to new options.
If you are struggling with ideas as to what you can pack for your lunch, here are some of my favourite ideas:
I love taking a dinner like spaghetti bolognese, chilli or tagine and having it at work for lunch the next day with bread, simple but really satisfying. A dollop of yoghurt adds a nice touch too.
Look in your fridge and try to find a combination of leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, spring onions, roasted veggies, quinoa or rice, cooked meat (chicken/turkey), and cheddar chunks.
For a dressing I love a simple combination of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, keep your dressing in a separate container and pour over when you’re ready to eat.
There are loads of varieties of noodles in the supermarket. Try combining noodles with chicken, cucumber and a dash of soy sauce for a lovely work lunch.
Buying tins of chickpea or mixed beans is so handy for work lunches. Rinse and drain the beans, add chopped vegetables and crumbly feta cheese. This goes brilliantly with a tortilla wrap and lots of salad leaves.
Derval O'Rourke's Three-Bean Salad
...a lovely simple 3 bean salad that is a great packed lunch option
Servings
2Preparation Time
15 minsTotal Time
15 minsCourse
SideIngredients
400g tin of mixed beans, drained and rinsed
80g tin of sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red pepper, finely chopped
Handful of coriander leaves
For the dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
A few drops of Tabasco
¼ tsp chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
Method
Place the beans, sweetcorn, scallions and red pepper in a large serving bowl and mix well.
Place all of the ingredients for the dressing in a jar with a lid and shake to combine.
Pour the dressing over the salad.
Scatter over the coriander leaves and serve.
